Indian organic cotton production was severely impacted and challenged by the introduction of genetically modified cotton in 2002. Only a decade later, 95% of the cotton seed in India was already genetically modified!
This also drastically changed the seed market: the availability of GMO-free seed was no longer given. Furthermore, the risk of genetic contamination in organic cotton was very high. This double stroke became one of the main causes of low productivity and frequent rejection of genetically contaminated cotton in the organic cotton market.
In response, bioRe® India and the bioRe® Foundation, in collaboration with the University of Agricultural Sciences Dharwad, initiated a unique research program during the 2010-11 growing season to develop and evaluate cotton varieties and hybrids suitable for organic cotton production in Madhya Pradesh.
However, there is still a long way to go before comparable organic seed is available in seed research. Above all, farmers also want to have a choice of four to five varieties and not just one.
However, after 10 years of intensive research, bioRe India has reached an important milestone and can offer some varieties of GMO-free seeds to bioRe farmers.